Bedard will miss series against Texas

Originally published July 9, 2011 at 8:48 pm
Updated July 10, 2011 at 12:01 am

Mariners pitcher Erik Bedard won't be returning off the disabled list to start against the Texas Rangers after the All-Star break as initially hoped.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mariners pitcher Erik Bedard won’t be returning off the disabled list to start against the Texas Rangers after the All-Star break as initially hoped.

Bedard has been out with what the team says is a mild sprain of his left knee and the hope had been that he could start the third or fourth game against the Rangers. But manager Eric Wedge said Saturday that was no longer the case.

“It looks like (Blake) Beavan is going to get one more start,” Wedge said of the rookie, who has made two starts in Bedard’s place.

The health status of Bedard will be of prime concern as the July 31 trade deadline approaches and the earliest Bedard would now start is July 19 in Toronto.

Michael Pineda struck out the first five batters he faced in Saturday’s game to come within three of the major-league record to begin a contest. Jim Deshaies of the Houston Astros struck out eight batters to begin a 1986 game against the Dodgers, setting a major-league record for consecutive strikeouts by rookies and by any pitcher to begin a game.

Tom Seaver of the Mets holds the major-league record for consecutive strikeouts with 10 of them, set in a 1970 game against San Diego.

Pineda’s mark was likely a Mariners record for a rookie to begin a game, but team officials could not confirm it.

The Mariners should get word Sunday as to whether Pineda will be added to the American League All-Star team as a replacement for Felix Hernandez, who is ineligible because he will pitch Sunday and it is too close to Tuesday’s game.

If Pineda is added, he may not pitch against the Rangers in the first series after the break.

Notes

• Franklin Gutierrez was scratched from Saturday’s game due to illness. Team officials said Gutierrez did not feel well after eating Friday, but that the problem was unrelated to his prior stomach issues. Greg Halman, who was to have started in left field on Saturday, moved to center in Gutierrez’s spot while Carlos Peguero played left.

• The four solo homers yielded by the Mariners on Friday marked the first time in club history that all four runs given up in a game had come via solo long balls.

• Beavan is the first Mariners pitcher to begin a career with two games of at least six innings pitched and two or fewer runs allowed since Dave Burba in 1991.